Mount Kailash

About Mount Kailash:

Known as Kangrinboqe Peak in Tibet, Mount Kailash is one of the most sacred mountains as it is believed to be naval of the universe. According to Shiva Purana visiting Mount Kailash and doing its Parikrama would bring good fortune and wash away sins. This four-faced holy mountain (North, South, East and West) is the origin of four major rivers of Asia, namely the Indus, Karnali, Brahmaputra, and Sutlej.

Mt. Kailash has been regarded as Gang Tise or Gang Rinproche in Tibetan which means “The Snow Mountain. The shape of this magical mountain peak makes it distinguishable from other surrounding peaks. The top of Mount Kailash is curved which makes it resemble Shivalinga and it is the only mountain that remains covered with snow throughout the year. Mount Kailash is a virgin peak as nobody has ever been able to climb it. It is said that the process of ageing is faster near Mount Kailash.

Location of Mount Kailash:

Mount Kailash is situated in the Ngari Prefecture of Tibet- the Autonomous region of China. It lies in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau at an elevation of about 6700m. There are two lakes namely Mansarovar Lake and Rakshastal on the foot of Mount Kailash resembling Sun and Mon respectively.

Significance of Mount Kailash:

Mount Kailash has been the religious epicentre for four religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bön. Even though all of these religions have different beliefs and gods, they have acknowledged Mount Kailash as "The Centre of The World" and regard it as their holy mountain.

According to Hindu mythology, Mount Kailash is believed to be the place where Lord Shiva (the principal god) lived with his consort Mata Parvati and their children.

In Buddhism, Mount Kailash has been regarded as Mount Meru. It is believed to be the residence of Shengle Vajra (the Buddha Cakrasamvaraor Demchok) who represents endless happiness.

According to Jain scriptures, Mount Kailash is the site where their first Thirthankar Rishabhadeva was liberated.

The Bön religion that originated in the Kailash region regards Mt. Kailash as a ladder for the gods to descend to earth and ascend to heaven. They believed there were 360 Gods of Bon residents in the mountain.

Parikrama of Mount Kailash:

The 40km distance of Mt. Kailash Parikrama is covered in 2 and a half days. This distance can be covered either on foot or on a pony. Yamdwar is the base of Mount Kailash Parikrama.On First Day of Kailash Mountain Parikrama, we cover 10km distance from Yamdwar to Dhirapuk. This is the most auspicious day of the Kailash Yatra because Mount Kailash is visible throughout the day. We get to see Nandi Parvat and south face of Kailash Parvat on this day.

On Second Day of Kailash Mountain Parikrama, we cover 22 km distance from Dirapuk to Zutulpuk. The 22km distance is divided into three parts- the first 6 km is uphill, the next 6 km is downhill and the last 10 km is plain. The first stretch of 6 km (Dirapuk to Dol Mala Pass) is the toughest part of Mount Kailash Parikrama. The last 10 km is a beautiful stretch with the Karnali river flowing by the side. On this day you get to see Shivasthal, Dolma La Pass, and Gauri Kund.

On Third and last Day of Kailash Mountain Parikrama, we cover 8km distance from Zutulpuk. It is a plain terrain that gets covered in 2 to 3 hours.Once you reach down, a bus will be waiting for the return journey. With this, the Mount Kailash Parikrama will be completed.